St. Landry officials analyzing West Nile in the area

8:49 PM,
Jul. 15, 2013

Undated image An Aedes albopictus female mosquito feeds on a human blood meal. Under experimental conditions the Aedes albopictus mosquito, also known as the Asian tiger mosquito, has been found to be a vector of West Nile virus. Aedes is a genus of the Culicine family of mosquitoes. Photo by James Gathany, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [Via MerlinFTP Drop]

Written by

Zane Hill
zhill@dailyworld.com

St. Landry Parish officials will be investigating preventative action after Lafayette Parish experts revealed a high presence of West Nile virus in the area.

The Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine recently released data showing the virus' increased presence from its mosquito pools and sentinel chickens throughout Lafayette Parish. Scientists gather samples of a mosquito species from targeted areas, grind them down and test for the virus. The sentinel chickens are kept in a variety of coops throughout the parish, and their blood is tested weekly.